Horizontal surface machining has been designed to use a flat-based cutter. This strategy will dramatically reduce the time it takes to finish machine the flat areas on a complex 3D mould, and in finish machining pockets in aerospace components.

Each pass in a morphed "patch" - the toolpath prior to linking - echoes the shape of the one before, while suggesting the shape of the one after. Akin to machining with the flow of a surface but by creating a set of boundaries with control points, the operator can exercise tight control on how a toolpath flows as it is mapped onto the model.

The system will calculate the rest areas of a selected toolpath - areas left on the surface that have been insufficiently machined - generate a stockmodel with this information, and edit passes to it.

This is a good way to generate efficient toolpaths, reducing air-cutting and shortening the machining time.

It is now possible to access two advanced machining presets quickly and easily from the menu, consolidating pencil milling and constant surface stepover.

Parallel Pencil Milling Passes
A set number of passes are offset from an active boundary or existing single line toolpath.

Tapered cutter support extends to carbide insert button cutters, predominantly used for roughing. To leave a tapered finish, it is critical to rough with taper to leave a material-on condition.